15 Replies to “Win Tickets To See Denis Leary on June 10”

My favorite is probably The Ref. Followed by Demolition Man. Both were early 90’s right around when “No Cure For Cancer” came out and studios realized that he was marketable but didn’t quite have it right yet. So in The Ref he ties up a family while trying to rob them…and then the plot kinda stops so he can do his Dennis Leary rants.

In Demolition Man they just cast him to personify his comedy bit. He smoked and ate rat burgers and loved old polluting cars…while handicapped people made handicapped faces.

And now I noticed on imdb that Judgement Night was done in between those. And with that semi-broken semi-awesome soundtrack of then popular rock bands and rap stars working together, I think it’s finally time I go rent that. And in prep for being let down, THAT is my new favorite Dennis Leary movie.

Song: “I’m an Asshole” — pure, indignant rant that echoes the feelings we’ve all had as we’ve tilted our heads at people and thought “Really!!!?”

My favorite thing about Denis is his “Yeah, I know better, but so f*cking what!” attitude. I permeates his comedy, film roles, and certainly his character on “Rescue Me.” Intellectually, we all know better; but the id is so charismatic and charming…. We can all relate to doing things we know are on some (or every) level self-destructive.

I have a definite love of No Cure for Cancer. It reminds me of my dad (who has been known to drunkenly sing “I’m an Asshole”), and I saw it at a very formative time in my life as an angry Northeastern-er. Also, “They say marijuana leads to other drugs. No, it leads to fucking carpentry,” is one of my favorite observations ever made by anyone. Perfect.

The ref is by far my favorite Denis Leary movie. If you haven’t seen it you gotta! Like right now. It co stars Kevin Spacey and Judy Davis as a quarrelsome couple who are held hostage along with their family by burglar Leary. The whole thing is hysterical.

I have loved everything I have seen or heard Denis Leary do and have an enduring fondness for his roles in The Thomas Crown Affair and The Ref, but he rocks Rescue Me like no other. His writing and performing on that show are genius. In my opinion, Rescue Me is one of the all time greatest shows on television.